Sarasota police cracking down on stores that sell CBD

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SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA/SNN) – The amount of CBD stores continues to grow all across Florida and the Sarasota Police Department is looking to crack down on these distributors.

Sarasota Police say they have tested CBD oils from different distributors in the city and found that many samples contain more than the legal 0.3 percent of THC.

Because of this, the police department has a drafted letter they will deliver to every CBD seller that is not a licensed medical marijuana dispensary.

“We’re going to go out to these locations when we identify them and we’re going to give them this letter and we’re going to have a discussion and let them know they shouldn’t be selling this product if it is in fact a cannabis product,” said Mike Harrell with Sarasota police.

Shelby Isaacson is the co-owner of Second and Seed that opened in September of 2018. She takes offense to this letter.

“I think there’s a lot of miscommunication and lack of education when it comes to this letter or this ease and assist that they’re bringing out. They’re linking a lot of companies together and saying places like mine is like something that you’re going to find at a gas station, which isn’t true.”

The police department believes that CBD has become a danger in the Sun Coast.

“I mean, people could be buying this at the presumption that it’s not a cannabis product and it doesn’t have THC in it and if they happen to be in a profession where they’re drug testing, next thing they know they failed their drug test because they were positive for cannabis,” said Harrell.

The oil is legal at the federal and not the state level.

Iaacson believes CBD carries many positive health effects.

“This isn’t something you have to take for the rest of your life either. It’s something that can help with the pain in your knees – the anxiety you have on a regular basis. It helps your body go into homeostasis. So, once your body is regulating itself then you don’t have to constantly be taking the product.”

“If they think they need CBD, and they want CBD, the best thing to do is go to the physician – ask the physician for a recommendation, and go to one of the licensed dispensaries to get it,” said Harrell.

Isaacson assures customers there is no risk buying the oil at her store.

“I want to make sure that I’m producing is of a quality product. I go to the farms, I go to the extraction facilities, I’m actually going next week because I want to be sure what you’re taking is actually what you need to be taking,” she said.

Sarasota police are waiting for a signature from Chief Bernadette DiPino before delivering the notice to CBD sellers.